Burial vault



Patented S t. 3,19 9.

HAROLD B. HCKEE, O]? srnmermrn, ILLINOIS.

BUBIAL vaurxr.

Application filed December 17, 1927. Serial no. 240,877.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in burial vaults and consists in providing a device of the foregoing character which will be moisture proof and also resistent to worms and the like so as to be permanent.

The salient object of my invention is to provide a burial vault which will embody a positive sealing arrangement which will prevent any foreign substance such as water or the like entering into the vault at the joint between the cover and the body thereof.

Another object of the invention is to providea burial vault which will embody a construction which will be proof against corrosion and this consists in providing a suitable metallic lining on the interior of the vault.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a vault embodying a preferred form of construction for my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the device illustrated in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view looking in the same direction as Fig. 2 depicting the sealing connection between the cover and the body; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 depicting 1 a/ modified form of. construction.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of construction for my invention, it may be seen that I provide a body 10 embodying an upper open side, which is normally closed by a cover or lid 11. The body 10 and the cover 11 are preferably formed of molded concrete or the like although similar and analogous materials might be used.

Devices of the foregoing character have been provided but considerable difliculty has been encountered in maintaining said bodies moisture proof. This condition is particu- A 'larly due to the porosity of concrete and is also due to faulty connections between the cover and the body. My improved construction eliminates the foregoing difliculties.

The interior of the body 10 is lined with a suitable noncorrosive metal such as lead, copper or the like. The metallic lining is indicated by 12 in the drawings and at the upper edge portions thereof said metallic lining is bent along the upper edge as indicated at 13 and downwardly along the wall of a recess provided in the side wall of the body 10. The linin is bent along the e ge thereof adapted to engage the upper edge of the body 10 as indicated at 14 and said lining is bent along the edge of a tongue projecting outwardly from said edge of the lid 12 and when said lid and body are in abutting relation, portions 13 and '14 are disposed as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

As stated, an object of my invention is to provide a tight connection between the lid 11 and the body 10 so as to produce a substantially hermetically sealed body when the lid 11 is properly disposed on the body 10. Along the edge 15 of the lid 11, which is adapted to engage the edge 16 of the body 10 at substantially the mid point thereof, a groove or recess 17 isprovided which extends entirely around the lid 11. A tongue 18 is provided on the edge 16 and the lid 11 is disposed on the body 10 and said tongue is adapted to be disposed in the recess 17. At the point 12 in the lid portion I where the tongue 18 joins'the edge 16, re-

cesses 19 and 20 are provided in said edge 16, and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, the walls of the recesses which are disposed toward each other, are formed as continuations of the side of the tongue 18. On the edge 15, tongues 21 and 22 are provided which are disposed such that when the walls of the recess 17 are continued upwardly they will form one wall of the tongues 21 and 22. Therefore when the lid 11 is disposed above the body 10, the tongue 18 fits into the recess 17 and the tongues 21 and 22 fit into the recesses 19 and 20 and therefore a tortuous passage is produced which renders it diflicult for 111015- ture, worms and the like entering into the interior of the body 10. It should be understood that the grooves 17, 19 and 20 and the co-operating tongues 18', 21 and 22 extend en-w tirely around the device.

In Fig. 4 a modified form of constructionis shown wherein the corners of the tongues and recesses are rounded. ThlS construction will facilitate the manufacture of the device and it is to be understood that the tongues and recesses might-be ,shaped in other manners than I have depicted without departing from the purview of my invention.

In order to further insure proper sealing between the lid 11 and-the body the devices are sealed in the following manner, It is apparent that the joining edges 13 and 14 of the lining 12 will act to space the lid 11 a short distance away from the body 10; that is, since the portions 13 and 14 extend along the edges 15 and 16 a short 7 distance, said edges will be spaced'apart. Therefore prior to the time thatthe lid 11 is mounted on the body 10 the recesses and 17 are filled with an adhesive plastic" substance such as asphala tum or the like and the recess 19 which is disposed toward the exterior of a the body, is

filled with an unharjdened substance similar to the substance of which the body 10 and the lid ll'are compose d, which as stated, will usually be cement or concrete. Therefore when the lid 11 is positioned above the body 10, and the tongues 22' and 18 enter'the recesses containing said plastic substance, and

' the tongue 21 enters the recess containing the cement, it is apparent that saidmaterials will be forced in all directions'due to the weight of the lid 11 andtherefore as soon as said substances harden, a substantially hermetical seal will be produced between thelid 11 and the It is apparent that the noncorrosive metallic lining thatI'provide on the interior of the vault will prevent the passage of moisture throu h the somewhat porous substance of which t e body ,10 and the lid 11 are usu- '7 ally formed and also the effective seal I have provided between the abutting edges of the lid and the body will revent assage at this details of construction set forth, but desire to point. Therefore asu sta'ntia ly hermetical- 1y sealed vault is-provided which is arranged" avail myself of such variation and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim. V i

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to protect by Let terIs Patent ils: ul bod n a uria va t com risi' a member and a lid member, s did members having opposed joining edges and having portions adjacent said edges formed of a relatively greater thickness than the remaining portions thereof, a lining of a non-corrodible metallic material for said body member, a lining of a non-corrodible metallic material for said lid member, said linings having portions extending along the said joining edges of said lid and body members for a relatively short dis tance from the inner sides thereof, said body member having an upwardly protruding tongue formed on the joinin edge at substantially theinidpoint of mi edge, said lid member having recesses formed. therein adapted to receive said ton 1e, said lid member having tongues form thereon adapted to extend outwardl from said edge, said tongues having the inwardly disposed edges thereof formed as continuations of the edges of said recesses, said body member havin recesses formed adjacent said tongue, sai recesses having the inwardly disposed edges thereof formed as continuations of said tongue, said last named recesses being adapted to receive said tongues or said lid member,

1 a cementitious adhesive substance adapted to be introduced into the inner of said recesses in. said body member and said recesses in said lid member for adhesively securing said body member and said lid member together,

a water resisting adhesive material adapted stance cooperating with the portions of said lining membersdirected over said joining edges to effectively seal the joined portions thereof.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature.

I HAROLD B. MCKEE. 

